Sound Transit is desperate to sell itself — and it’s plans for Sound Transit 3 (ST3) —to the public. So desperate, in fact, that it has resorted “sponsoring” articles on why commuters should consider using light rail in various news outlets. An article entitled “5 reasons to use Seattle’s new Link light rail stations” in MyNorthwest.com is a prime example.
Sound Transit cites “plans for expansion” as one of its five reasons for why commuters should use light rail. The article reads,
“Sound Transit plans to open several more stations in the next few years. The projected extension to Northgate in 2021 will benefit surrounding areas of Seattle, as will with the construction of Lynnwood, Bellevue, Redmond, and Kent/Des Moines lines, all of which are slated to come on line in 2023.
“With these expansions in the works and ST3 on the ballot this fall to expand to areas including Federal Way, Issaquah, West Seattle, Ballard, and more, users of the new Link light rail system can rest assured that Sound Transit will continue to lead the way in finding solutions to address the region’s transit challenges.”
Of course, the problem with Sound Transit’s reasoning is that, when considering all the facts, “plans for expansion” is not exactly the best selling point for ST3. You see, it’s all Sound Transit’s “plans for expansion” that never quite saw the light of day that has the agency in hot water.
As Shift has reported, Sound Transit has a poor record finishing any project within the planned timeline. In fact, twenty years after voters approved ST1, Sound Transit has yet to fulfill all its promises.
In the future, the transit agency may be better off avoiding any mention of “plans” when attempting to sell ST3 to voters.
